Highly successful women’s clothing manufacturer Eileen Fisher wants its employees to be whole people. That means:
No extra hours. “Employees are encouraged to go home at 5.30 p.m. and not work on weekends”, says EF’s Chief Culture Officer Susan Schor.
Wellness. EF grants its employees education and wellness allowances totaling $2,000/year. The wellness money can be spent on massages, yoga, gym dues or other healthy activities. The education allowance to develop new skills like dance or guitar helps employees grow as individuals. “We do it not only because it feels right, but we also know that we then get the best of people,” says Schor.
Flexibility. “This is a company where you can start out doing one job function and, if you have a passion or an interest in something else you can wind up doing something totally different just because you wanted to, and because there is the space here for you to do that,” says EF’s Director of Architecture Peter Scavuzzo.
Giving back. Eileen Fisher began her company 25 years ago with a small loan from her parents and a dream: make simple and elegant clothes. Her vision has turned into a 37-store company that made $254 million last year. Now EF is funding other women’s start-ups with five yearly grants of $10,000 a piece.
How do I go about applying for the Eileen Fisher Grant?
Call them at 800 445 1603
or contact Amy Hall, Director of Social Conciousness (yes that’s really her title):
ahall@eileenfisher.com
You can find information about Eileen Fisher Inc. grant programs on the web site http://www.eileenfisher.com
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